The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently conducted a listening session focused on unregulated intoxicating hemp product regulatory clarity.
“ATACH aims to educate and raise awareness on the unregulated intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid market and the issues posed to the state-regulated markets,” ATACH President Michael Bronstein said. “The lack of regulation and enforcement is leading to potential risks to consumer health and safety and confusion at the state level on how to regulate these products.”
Four years ago, the U.S. Farm Bill legalized hemp under federal law and permitted plant materials containing no more than .3 percent THC on a dry-weight basis, but hemp-derived products are presently being sold in numerous states and across state lines containing significant levels of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.
The result is an unregulated market for intoxicating consumer products available in gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, and online – in some instances, available for purchase without age verification.
Listening session topics included intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products sold in concentrations exceeding what is allowable in regulated cannabis markets as it relates to per serving and per package limits; the ease of access of intoxicating hemp-derived products to youth and unsuspecting adult consumers who believe all hemp products to be non-intoxicating/impairing; and a survey of FDA regulations presently applied by state agencies in the regulation of manufactured cannabis products.
ATACH is also requesting Congress move toward establishing greater unregulated intoxicating hemp product regulatory clarity in the next Farm Bill.